Outstanding performance sees Metro receiving millions from Treasury

Mar 27, 2018

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality coalition government on Tuesday announced that its exceptional performance in utilising 100% of its Urban Settlement Development Grant (USDG) has resulted in us being rewarded with a R178 million windfall.

According to Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive Mayor, Athol trollip, the new National Treasury policy of punishing under-expenditure of grant funding and rewarding compliant and prudent utilisation thereof is a move that incentivises municipalities to focus spending on underdeveloped communities.

"This is an endorsement of the excellent work done by this coalition government since coming into office in August 2016. Having spent 100% of the USDG allocation in the previous financial year, the Municipality has been acknowledged and affirmed for our exemplary work with this additional funding for what remains of the 2017/18 financial year," he said.

"With a vast capital infrastructure maintenance backlog as a result of poor governance by our predecessors, this additional funding will go a long way to improving the lives of residents living in township communities."

Trollip said that the Municipality will now be able to increase the rate at which gravel roads are tarred, water and sanitation infrastructure is repaired or replaced, public lighting is installed and public open spaces are created and kept well-run.

"The Municipality commits to continue spending 100% of every Rand allocated to us from USDG, to speed up redress and take Nelson Mandela Bay forward."